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Living in a prewar apartment building comes with perks and quirks. On the "perk" side, you get sturdy construction, pretty good noise separation between units and charming touches like crown molding and wood flooring. On the "quirk" side, things are more likely to break down, including the electrical grid. One week, I had not one but two power outages in my building the same night, with power not being restored until early the following morning.
Sitting in the dark without entertainment is never fun, but I just happened to have the Duracell M150 Power Station on my desk, which is $40 off during Cyber Monday sales, and it helped save the night. Looking like a giant two-tone Duracell AA battery with a copper accent on the top, it's a charging hub with multiple high-output USB-C and USB-A ports, a built-in light ring and a dock that keeps it topped up all the time. It's $99 right now.
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There's also an adjustable MagSafe-compatible wireless charging pad up top, along with a storage compartment to stow away cables. Its larger sibling, the M250, is even featured on CNET's list of favorite portable power stations for its unique design, though if you want something with more capacity, you should consider our best portable power stations list.
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The Duracell's charging dock and light is the killer feature
The thing about most portable power stations is that you need to top them up periodically or leave them plugged in all the time so they're always ready for emergencies, at the cost of battery lifespan. That's the case with the Jackery Explorer 300 power station, which I also own and used as my mainstay power backup option. It's a good device with pretty of runtime, but it requires me to be frequently plugging and unplugging it, which can be a hassle.
The Duracell M150 makes this process easier with the included charging dock, which keeps the M150 topped up whenever I need it. When my power went out, all I had to do was pull the dock off the charging stand and move it to where I needed it. That's also where the built-in light came in handy. Unlike the Jackery Explorer 300, an unexpected outage didn't leave me reaching for my phone's flashlight. With a press of a button, I got immediate light and I was able to find my way around my dark and cluttered apartment.
Give Duracell some credit for its likable -- and familiar -- power station designs.
The light isn't as bright as an emergency lantern or camping light, but it's more than enough to do in a pinch, giving me the time to check my breaker box to confirm that it wasn't the cause of the outage and to find some back up entertainment options like my Steam Deck and Kobo Libra Color, while also serving as a tabletop light if I needed to head to the bathroom.
The Duracell also stands out for its size and weight. At just 1.8 pounds for the battery section and 0.6 pounds for the included charging dock, you can tote the whole thing around without too much trouble. However, it doesn't have a carrying handle like the Jackery Explorer 300, which would have been a nice touch for added portability.
Does a portable power station make a good gift?
The Duracell M150 provides power whenever you need it, making it a great gift for those in areas more prone to outages. This can include places like Florida and the Gulf Coast or even people like me who live in older buildings with more decrepit infrastructure.
With its mix of USB-A and high-output USB-C ports and a wireless charging stand, it can charge devices ranging from laptops and phones to earbuds and smartwatches. There are also two additional models, the smaller and more compact M100 and the larger, more capacious M250 so you can pick whichever one suits your needs best. All three come with the charging dock and built-in light.
Will the Duracell M150 be on sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
The M150 is on sale right now and we expect it to remain on sale throughout the holidays. While the M150 generally runs you $159, it's currently on sale for just $99 as part of a Cyber Monday deal, giving you a saving of $60. If you need more capacity, you can also pick up the M250 for $149 or the more compact M100 for $89.
Be sure to check out CNET's roundup of the best Cyber Monday deals currently available for more power stations, home appliances and other products.